- Plant to create 5,000 jobs, produce 100 cubic metres of oxygen, and 45 cubic metres of acetylene per hour
- Remodels Hotel Presidential, others
Governor Peter Mbahof Enugu State on Thursday, unveiled Nigergas Company Limited, revamped and upgraded by his administration after over 30 years of inaction.
Mbah said Nigergas had so far created direct employment for over 100 skilled and semi-skilled workers, and would further create over 5,000 indirect jobs across distribution, fabrication, transport and supply chain.
Likewise, the governor, on 21 August, reinaugurated the remodelled Hotel Presidential Enugu, built 62 years ago by the former premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Michael Okpara, describing the revival of the edifice as “a homecoming for history.”
He stressed that the revival of Nigergas company, which was established in 1962 as part of Dr. Michael Okpara’s vision after decades of abandonment, was another proof of his administration’s commitment to reviving state-owned moribund assets and grow Enugu State’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
The governor stated, “What we have revived and unveiled today is not simply metal and a network of pipes; it is the restoration of purpose, dignity and productivity to a site that once symbolised Eastern Nigeria’s industrial promise.
“When we speak of the goal to grow our GDP from $4.4bn to $30bn, it is not mere posturing. It is rooted in the conviction that Enugu can become a truly diversified, self-reliant economy, if we muster the will to do things differently to launch us to the future we dream of.”
On Nigergas’ rehabilitation model, capacity, and expansion plan, Mbah said, “We approved a full rehabilitation scheme and a management model that blends public ownership with private-sector performance discipline.
“The intention was clear: retain public ownership, but run the facility on modern, accountable, commercially viable lines.
“So, today, Nigergas returns to production with modernised equipment and clear technical specifications designed to meet immediate healthcare and industry needs.
“The plant’s installed capacity has been upgraded to produce significant volumes of medical and industrial gases, ensuring steady local supply and reducing dependence on distant, expensive suppliers.
“Crucially, the plant will supply liquid oxygen, medical and industrial oxygen, and acetylene gas to our hospitals, welders, agro-processors and manufacturers, improving clinical outcomes and reducing production costs for businesses that are the backbone of local livelihoods.
“The new plant has a capacity to produce 100 cubic metres of oxygen per hour; and 45 cubic metres of acetylene per hour.
“We will soon bring on stream these additional products: nitrogen; argon gas; carbon dioxide; and CNG stations.”
Mbah maintained that Nigergas’ revival would guarantee access to reliable medical oxygen, and save lives, as well as provide on-demand industrial gases to lower operating costs, speed up turnaround, and keep workshops and factories turning.
“These improvements ripple outward: increased industrial activity strengthens our revenue base, and deepens opportunities for MSMEs,” he said.
He commended Managing Director of Enugu State Investment Authority, and the Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo; the engineering firm, Ten Gas Development Ltd (a division of INDEV GROUP), and the community leaders of Emene for their roles in resurrecting Nigergas.
Ogbu-Nwobodo, on his part, expressed joy that although the firm established by the Okpara administration, in partnership with SiadMachine Impianti, was abandoned for over three decades due to mismanagement, misappropriation of revenue, abuse of company resources, nepotism, and weak corporate governance, Mbah had restored the lost dreams.
Managing Director, Ten Gas Development Ltd., Chief Chike Madueke, stated that the restored Nigergas would provide training and thousands of employments for the youth of the state.
Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu; community leader and health consultant, Dr. Joy Uduji; Chairman of Enugu East Local Government Area, Pastor Beloved Dan Anike; and a businessman, Engr. George Ndubeze Ugwu, also commended Mbah for not only breathing life into dead state-owned assets, but for also building infrastructure that made life better and enabled businesses to thrive.
“You are the Nehemiah of our time. Like Nehemiah, who came and supervised the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, you have also come to rebuild Enugu State,” Uduji said.
On Hotel Presidential reopening, Mbah who praised the former premier for his visionary leadership in building the hotel as a symbol of the Eastern Region, lamented that time and neglect had dimmed the light.
“For about 15years, this glorious edifice stood as affront to our pride and something contrary to what we represent. We came into office with strong pledge to recover what belongs to our people,” Mbah said.
He said that the revival of Hotel Presidential was in line with his campaign promise to recover Enugu’s moribund assets and also grow the state’s economy sevenfold.
“That is why this unveiling is more than opening the doors of a hotel; it is the reopening of Enugu’s confidence. It is a tangible sign that when we say Enugu is open for business, we mean business.
“This hotel is a strategic enabler of our growth plan, comprising the ambitious target to grow Enugu’s economy seven-fold to at least $30 billion and to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount rate,” he said.
He assured that the standards for the hotel’s revamp were truly world-class, because the administration “insisted on this so that when Enugu says ‘welcome’ to its investors, our hospitality infrastructure speaks with the same credibility as our policies.”
According to him, “Our hospitality ecosystem today is simply inspiring: the 5,000-seat International Conference Centre (ICC) now anchors Enugu’s conferencing ambitions; the adjacent 5-star, 345-room ICC Hotel under construction will deliver premium “keys” for large events; Enugu Air, which has given wings to our dreams and announced the scale of our vision to the world; And now, the renewed Hotel Presidential adds a full-service icon back into the mix.
“None of this is a whimsical project; they are connecting dots on a large canvas. These assets are crucial to our aim to welcome up to three million annual tourist visits and to make Enugu the Conferencing Capital of Africa.
“The economic value is already visible. This hotel alone supports hundreds of direct jobs, culinary and events teams, engineering, landscaping, suppliers, and several other opportunities.
“Every conference day books our taxis and CNG buses; every visiting family discovers our art, our music, our cuisine, and our warmth.
“And the signal to investors is even bigger: when government shows it can recover assets, fix the fundamentals, and protect investments, private capital follows. That is why you see momentum across other moribund assets like UPPL, Sunrise Flour Mill, Nigergas; International Conference Centre, and a host of others,” he added.
Speaking, Nollywood veteran actor and movie producer, Kanayo O. Kanayo, said, “It is not praise-singing, security is working here because when I come to make movies here, we usually stay out late into the night at Nike, and we are safe
